Sacred Music Should Be Worthwhile Music-Part-3

Sacred Music should Be Worthwhile Music-Part 3

       Next, we should consider the profoundness of the formal properties of the music.  Secular musicians who are often strict formalists believe that music’s meaning comes only through its formal properties.  To them, the more profound the formal properties are the more information or meaning is to be found in the music.  One of the problems with formalist belief about music’s meaning is the fact that they believe that its meaning is not related to life but is encapsulated in music’s own closed meaning.

        Although I am not a music formalist, I do believe that the profoundness of the formal properties of a piece of music makes a vital difference in that music’s ability to express “meaning”.  I part company quickly with strict formalists because I do not believe that music’s meaning is part of a closed system.  However, If Christian musicians ignore the formal properties of the music they use to present the profound message of the gospel, they are ipso facto showing a lack of understanding of music’s power and potential of expressing meaning.

       I am not saying that the prima facie of sacred musicing is how difficult the formal properties of the music are.  However, that being said, a profound sacred text deserves a music whose formal properties support the depth of meaning of the lyrics.  A deeply profound text meaning should have as its concomitant a music whose formal properties explore the deepest levels of musical meaning that are congruent with it.  Again let me clarify that I am not purporting that all quality sacred music needs to be difficult or that it needs to be in any way deeply esoteric.  Simplicity may exude profoundness.  A simple sacred text is often best presented with a simple musical expression.